Out of the Fire and into the Forest
by chlomoe12
Summary: This is an AU from the Series 3 finale. I was unsatisfied so I decided to fix it. The rules of my AU world are defined in the 1st chapter so it makes sense. Will/Djaq, eventual Guy/Marian and Robin/Allan (sorry if you don't like slash, well. oh well, don't read then). I've written an OC but she is no Mary-Sue, no worries there. Give it a read, please and thank you :)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Everything other than this changed plot and any OCs belong to the BBC. No copyright infringement taking place here. Here are the guidelines for this AU so that the story makes sense.**  
**

Logistics of my AU World:

Marian went to the Holy Land, but remained trapped with the Sheriff and Guy and never was tied up with Robin, thus she didn't get in the way and get killed. Also, Carter did not die in the Holy Land, just because I liked him. He probably won't matter in my story, but I want to have the option of using him if I so choose. My story will also include King Richard's return from the Holy Land; don't hold your breath for historical accuracy. Also Will and Djaq are back as a couple and in England, it will make sense I promise.

While Robin and the gang were tied up in the desert, Marian remained stuck with Guy of Gisborne and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Therefore she never interfered with Guy trying to kill King Richard and didn't die. This means that she and Robin never exchanged any wedding vows. In this AU, Robin saved King Richard by engaging in a sword fight with Guy. Neither was seriously injured and Guy and the Sheriff still rode away on the Sheriff's horse before the King could be killed. After they rode away, the gang returned to England as occurred in the gap between series 2 and 3. However, Will and Djaq didn't stay in the Holy Land, they returned to England as well (separately from the gang). On their way, Will and Djaq discovered that Guy and the Sheriff had left Marian essentially to die and saved her. They then went about disbanding the rest of the Black Knights. Robin and the gang assumed that Marian was dead and thus did not realize she, Will, and Djaq have been fighting for justice in other parts of England. Conveniently enough, they return in time to save the day. Series 3 progressed as normal with the exception of the Guy and Robin fight in the series opener and any related occurrences. Also, Kate and Tuck are still characters in my AU, but they will not be making any significant appearances as I didn't really like them that much. All proceeds as normal until "Something Worth Fighting For" Part 2. This story picks up after the fight wherein Guy appears to be mortally injured. In this AU, Allan was not shot down in part 1 and they did not have a funeral for him.

**Chapter 1: **

**Secret Nottingham Tunnel**

Guy of Gisborne awoke to the distinct smell of blood and burning flesh. As he opened his eyes, he saw nothing. Nothing but ash and the crimson stream of blood idling through the gashes in his chest and his leather attire. As he tried to stand, he realized that the tunnel he once fought in had all but collapsed around him. The walls were still intact, but just barely. Most of the supporting structures lay in rubble around his feet. "Must have been Robin," he thought to himself. "Or maybe Archer, they're both good with bows."

He began scraping the rubble off of his lower limbs in attempt to allow himself to stand. Each movement of his hands sent ripples across his body as they tugged the gashes cruelly decorating his chest. Inch by painful inch he cleared his legs and feet and went to stand. His body wobbled against the decision, the blood loss tainting the floor beneath him.

He looked ahead to see whether or not the rest of the tunnel was still intact. It was, but it also was blocked by the same manner of rubble that had covered his legs. Seeing the sword that Archer had left behind in his haste, Guy took the blade and began his long journey to dig out of the secret tunnel.

**Nottingham Castle**

Sheriff Vasey looked up expecting to see the stone ceiling of his beloved Nottingham Castle looming above him. Instead, he was greeted by the sunlight of the evening sunset. As he glanced around, he saw countless guards. Some groaning with the pains of a soon approaching death, others silent with eyes bulging from a bloody death. To his left Sheriff Vasey saw Isabella. A gash from the middle of her forehead all the way down to her neck appeared to be the fatal wound as he saw her lifeless body lying on the floor.

He attempted to stand, but he fell quickly back to the floor, gutted by pain as he realized his right leg was trapped under debris. It felt broken. He started to remove the pile of rubble but saw a trickle of blood streaming out from underneath. Due to fear of bleeding out, he chose to leave the debris where it was. "Guards!" he bellowed in hope of another living soul. A few of the bodies around him groaned in response as they took their last breaths. He was stuck, no one to help. No way to stop the bleeding. Never before had he felt so alone.

**Sherwood Forest**

Archer watched as his half-brother walked slowly and painfully away from the gang of outlaws, his breathing labored and his gait offset. Robin wanted to be alone, and they would be damned to take that from him.

Robin sat down on the ground underneath the kissing tree, the place where he and Marian had shared so many moments together. As he gazed up at the evening sky, he wondered whether or not heaven awaited him. "Robin," a soft voice called. He turned his gaze towards the sound. There he saw Marian, dressed in a glistening robe. "Robin, my love, it is not your time." She approached his body and placed her hand upon his cheek. "My love," Robin replied. "How are you here? I thought you were dead." He whispered subtly. "Robin, I deserve a bit better than death by desert sand don't you think?" She responded with a smile. "And besides, if I had died, Djaq wouldn't be here to save you."

Djaq snuck out from behind the tree opposite of the conversing couple. Robin started to speak but Marian put her finger over his lips. "Robin," Djaq started. "Don't move and don't speak any more. Slow your breathing if you can. Slow the poison from coursing through your blood as much as you can. I have an antidote, a sort of jack of all trades type of potion. It should do the trick. But it will make you feel quite miserable until it wears off."

Djaq administered the potion by wiping some of it along the cut on his neck. The rest he had to drink. Robin gagged as he drank it, the bitter herbs creating a wicked aftertaste. Djaq saw his grimace and said, "Better to drink it and live though aye?" Robin gave her his trademark smirk.

Down the hill in the forest, Will decided it was time to alert the gang. He leaned out from behind a tree and said, "I think I've got a way to make your day a little bit better," and cast a smile in the direction of the outlaws. Allan was the first to react, "I'm not being funny, but aren't you supposed to be in the Holy Land with Djaq and probably a handful of young ones." He smiled and went to give Will a hug, but was interrupted by Archer's blade being pressed between them. Archer scowled at Will until Little John placed his arm upon Archer's shoulder. "Him, we like." John uttered and Archer dropped his weapon. "We'll explain later." Will said. "Right now there are more important things developing."

Will lead the gang up the hill to where Djaq was helping Robin. Much was the first to react upon seeing Marian hovering nearby. "Lady Marian!" He explained and ran up to give her a hug. "Hello Much." Marian giggled. "I think you'll find that Master Robin is going to be just fine." She uttered with a smile. The gang started to gather around Robin, but then Djaq exclaimed, "Back you fools! Give the man room to breathe!" She smiled at the group though, to lessen the impact of her harmful words. "Now we just have to wait."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Disclaimer from Chapter 1 still applies.**

**Secret Nottingham Tunnel**

Guy was progressing towards his escape. In the course of the evening he had dug a long way. In actuality he would only need a few more swipes of the sword to reach the opening of the tunnel, but he had no way of knowing this. Now he was tired, thirsty, hungry, in the throes of blood loss, and weary. He could feel his morale waning as he plopped down on the stone beneath him. The gashes on his chest caused him continual pain that didn't feel as if they would go away anytime soon. He placed his head back on the rubble he had left to dig, resigning to the fact he was trapped. As he felt eternal sleep start to overtake him, all of his weight was resting on the rubble. As his eyes drooped closed, the weight of his body collapsed the remaining rubble and Guy could see the entry chamber. He drug himself closer to the exit and leaned his head against the cold stone of the wall. He then started to haul himself up out of the tunnel. As he saw the evening sunset he fell onto the mossy grass of the forest floor. He stared up into the sky and let his head fall as he dropped off into sleep.

**The Outlaws' Camp**

The potion that Djaq had given Robin had placed him into a deep slumber. Whilst he was sleeping, the gang decided to return to their camp. With the addition of so many new members, they had a lot of work to do. Much and Archer went out to hunt for that night's meal. Allan and Will set out to remedy the lack of beds situation. Marian and Djaq monitored Robin's every breath. John took first watch and Kate and Tuck sat very confused in their own bedding.

Soon Much and Archer returned with enough food for the gang. Much took his normal post as chef as Archer joined John on the watch. Despite the fact that all should have been well with Nottingham Castle in shambles, the two could not shake the feeling that something was still wrong.

After Much finally finished cooking the meal, the group assembled around the campfire. They ate in silence, some contemplating the day, all listening for the deep breathing of their leader. They had almost lost Robin today, and until that moment none of them had ever realized how much he meant to them. They sat staring at the fire even after they had finished eating. No one dared to break the moment, until they heard a loud coughing noise come from Robin's bunk. The hacking noise continued as Djaq hurried to Robin's side with Marian on her heels.

Marian caressed the locks of Robin's hair that lay against his forehead as Djaq called out, "I need some help over here!" Allan, John, Much, and Will darted towards the call, but Allan was the first as he was closest. Djaq motioned for Allan to help hold Robin up to help alleviate his coughing. Allan allowed Robin to lean his back and head against Allan's lap, their leader not having enough strength to do so on his own. The others who had hurried to his aid loomed behind Djaq, watching to make sure Robin was okay. Robin wearily opened his eyes, just to have them slam back shut a moment later. He groaned, in pain from the poison coursing through his veins.

"Robin?" Marian whispered. Robin's hand twitched in response. Marian grasped it firmly with a squeeze, confirming her presence to the injured man. "He will be in great pain for a while." Djaq murmured. "The potion I gave him will act sort of like a detox. It will neutralize the poison in his veins, but it will cause continued pain until the poison is gone. That is how we will know he is better; the pain will suddenly leave him."

Much was the first to speak after the diagnosis. "What do we do until he's better?" He softly said. Djaq's reply was quick and curt, "We wait."

"Well I for one have had enough waiting! Waiting in the Holy Land to come back from war, waiting to get home and have a decent meal, waiting around for nobles to come by so we can steal from them, waiting on Gisborne, the Sheriff, or Prince John's men to come to kill us! I'm done waiting! Robin you need to get better now!" Much made a dart to shake his master's body, but John stepped in his path.

Much collapsed into John's arms as he started to cry. "I'm sorry I'm the one that's always bloody crying all the time, but…I…I just need him to get better. He's our leader, fearless and strong, he can't be hurt. He just can't."

Teary eyes surrounded the pair as Much clung to John as he cried fat tears that streamed down his face. Everyone else in the gang felt the same as Much; they just didn't feel the same need to verbalize it.

Then a voice came from the other side of the campfire. A voice that until this point had been silent since before supper, "I think we should all settle down for the night. It's been a long day, and Robin needs his rest. As do the rest of us. We have no idea what remains in Nottingham, nor what tomorrow will bring. We'd be wise to take advantage of the quiet tonight." With that, Archer headed off to where extra beds had been placed for the new arrivals to the camp.

Much at first appeared like he was going to rebuke the statement, but a sort of calm settled over him. The tears stopped dribbling down his face; he sucked in a deep breath and headed toward his bunk.

The others followed his lead and headed for bed. The only people remaining around Robin were Allan and Marian. Djaq and Will had moved their bed close enough that if Robin, Allan, or Marian needed to call on them, they were in earshot.

"I can stay up with him Allan, you need your sleep." Marian said. "No, someone needs to keep watch, and Robin looks like he finally found a comfortable spot." Allan said, a little unconvincingly. "Go ahead and go to bed Marian, I'm used to sleeping sitting up anyway. They weren't all that kind to me at the castle in sleeping regards." Marian didn't want to leave Robin's side, but she knew she needed some sleep if she was to be any use to the gang the following day. She slunk off to bed, but not before placing a gentle kiss to Robin's forehead.

Allan sighed as he looked up into the stars. "Such an odd place we've come to my old friend." He murmured quietly. "You've always been saving me, helping me, giving me a second chance. I guess it's time I finally returned the favor." He whispered with a smirk. Allan rested his head back against the mossy wall behind him, Robin's head cradled delicately in his lap, Robin's chest slowly and solidly shifting up and down with his breathing. Allan brushed the hair back from Robin's eyes, and settled down for a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Disclaimer still applies. Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter, but it was originally the first part of the next chapter, but the next chapter got a bit long so I broke them apart. Chapter 4 to be up soon. Let me know in reviews if you don't like my OC that will be appearing from this chapter forward. I want to use her more as a device to keep my AU universe moving, rather than as a major character, but any advice on how I'm writing her would be greatly appreciated.**

**Outside the Tunnel**

Guy of Gisborne had been sleeping restlessly for a few hours. His long black locks were soiled with dirt and sweat from the previous day, two short but deep gashes across his chest had littered his body with both the appearance and smell of blood. His trademark leather clothing was in shambles from his struggles in the tunnel.

Down the path from the tunnel, the steady clip clop of a horse could be heard in the distance. The sound was drawing closer and closer. As the sound reached its loudest point, a dappled gray horse stuck its head out from behind a tree. A young woman, probably around the age of 20 sat upon its back. She looked out into the clearing before she entered and saw a man lying in the grass.

She slid off of the back of her horse and pulled an arrow out of her quiver placed upon her back and readied it against her bow. She surveyed the area, discerning that the man was alone and very much asleep. She crept towards his body and saw he was unarmed minus a blunted sword, but the gashes along his chest appeared in a terrible state, as did the pallor of his body.

The young woman wandered back to her horse and grabbed her pack from the saddle. From it, she withdrew a handful of different herbs and spices. She mashed them up in a bowl from her pack into a paste. She sat down next to the man and started to apply the mixture to his wounds. She gathered some water from a nearby stream and used it along with the hem of her sleeve to wipe the dirt from his face.

The man looked as if he hadn't eaten in days, but due to his sleeping state, she figured that he needed his rest. She packed up her things and tied her horse to a tree nearby and headed off into the forest to find supplies to make a camp.

**The Outlaws' Camp**

Allan A Dale was dozing. He knew he was supposed to be keeping watch, but the forest was silent, Robin was still sleeping peacefully, and the world seemed calm. Due to the insanity of the previous few days, he figured he had earned a few hours of rest.

Just as his eyelids started to droop, he felt Robin begin to toss and turn. He groaned in his sleep, a deep pained groan that scared Allan. "Djaq!" He called. He heard Djaq grumble a bit but then he assumed she remembered the situation as she hurried to Robin's side. "How is he?" She inquired. "He's restless," Allan replied. "And he feels hot to the touch."

Djaq felt along Robin's forehead and gasped as she felt his feverish skin. "I need water." She said hurriedly and scurried off across the camp. She returned with a damp cloth. "Allan, I need you to put this against his forehead, I've brought you a bowl with more cold water, try to keep him cool. I'm going to look for some herbs to help with his fever." "I'm not being funny, but you can't go out there alone!" Allan said, but then he saw Will standing before him. "I'm going with her," Will smiled. "Don't worry, you take care of Robin, I'll take care of Djaq."

"I'm fairly certain that I don't need to be taken care of Will Scarlett." Djaq responded with a smirk. The pair headed off into the forest. Allan continued to dab the cool rag against Robin's forehead. He appeared to settle a little bit, but that only lasted for as long as the rag was ice cold.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Disclaimer still applies.**

**The Woods/Tunnel Entrance**

The young woman was wandering out into the forest. As she got farther away, she called her horse's name, "Salvador!" His gentle neighing assured her that she hadn't wandered too far. Beside the trail, there were many different bushes with berries on them. She studied them for a while, and then chose the ones that she knew were not poisonous to gather. After gathering enough for her and Salvador, she continued up the path. She then saw a large oak tree had fallen. The trunk appeared to have rotted, but the limbs seemed useful for firewood. She took the small dagger she carried with her and cut some of the smaller limbs off. She gathered them up and headed back to the man.

She started a fire with the branches, leaving her last loaf of bread toasting next to the new campfire. If the man awoke at any point in the near future, she knew he would want something to eat. She sat down on a log near the campfire and ate some of the berries she had gathered. She then fed the rest to Salvador, he would need his energy.

As Salvador drank from the stream nearby, the woman watched the man in his slumber. He started to stir, presumably from the feeling of warmth from the fire. When he awoke, he jerked up into a sitting position and then hissed as the pain from his wounds hit him. He saw the young woman staring at him. His first thought was to grab his sword, but then he realized that if she had wanted him dead, she would have killed him while he was sleeping.

"Who are you?" He inquired, his voice gruff from the lack of use. "My name is Sarah." She replied. "And who are you?" "I'm Guy of Gisborne." He replied with a bit of a puff, as if she should know the title. "Never heard of you." Sarah deadpanned. "Oh. Surely you're not from around here then are you?" Guy replied. "Some ego you have on you," she smirked. "Just because I've never heard of you means I can't possibly be from the area. Well I'd hate to stroke that ego, but you're right. I'm not from around here. I'm just making my way to Nottingham. I intend to speak with the Sheriff."

"Well I'd hate to burst your bubble, but Nottingham lies in shambles just beyond the forest. And I would assume the Sheriff lies within the rubble." Guy said, but not without a hint of pride.

"Is it safe to assume you caused Nottingham's fall based upon your boasting?" Sarah questioned. "Not entirely, I was a small part of the fight, but some distant family of mine would be better off taking the blame."

Finally Guy's curiosity got the better of him, "Why did you help me?" Sarah's gaze shifted to the grass beneath her feet. "You looked like you needed it."

"Oh don't tell me, a wannabe Robin Hood, aye?" "No," she responded. "Not a Robin Hood. I've no desire to be a Robin Hood, merely thought it was the right thing to do."

"Same thing," Guy said. "That's all Robin does is good deeds, he's a do-gooder, a goody two shoes."

"I should think not," Sarah replied. "He robs from the rich and gives to the poor, that's a good thing and all, but I've no desire to be like that. I'm a good person, I'll help someone who needs it, but I'm not about to put my own life in the way just for a few coins. Just to buy a few villagers a day or two more of life."

"Never thought about it that way before," Guy mumbled. Sarah offered him a bit of the toasted bread. He took it with a curt nod of thanks. He took a quick bite. "But you sort of contradicted yourself though."

"How so?" Sarah inquired. "Well, I mean, how did you know you weren't putting your life in danger to help me. I could have been armed for all you knew."

"Oh please, you were so far asleep a bear could have come through here and eaten you and you wouldn't have even batted an eye. Also, I checked you over for weapons." Guy glanced towards his sword. "And believe me, I saw that thing, you couldn't cut through hot butter with that one."

Guy went back to eating his bread. He knew she had bested him on that front. Sarah smiled at his pouting and cleared her throat. She motioned for him to come and sit by her at the fire. He moved slowly and sat next to her on the log she was perched on. He went to take another bite of bread, but realized it was all gone and nothing remained but his hand and a few stray crumbs.

Sarah nudged his shoulder, giggled a little bit at his surprise, and handed him her piece of bread. "No," he said, "You need to eat too."

"No offense," she said. "But you look like you need it much more than I do. Besides, I had some berries earlier."

He took the bread from her outstretched hand, but not before he tore a bit of the piece off. "At least eat this bit." She took the bit back. He watched to make sure she ate it, and then he set in on his piece.

He didn't know why he was being so nice to Sarah. Besides the obvious reason that she had saved his life and all. Selfishly he tried to make himself believe it was because she reminded him of Meg. But besides her sarcasm and a similar hair color, she was as far away from Meg as she possibly could be. Sarah had cropped brown locks, maybe a tad bit longer than the Saracen's hair, "What was her name? Djaq," he thought.

Guy took a glance at the rest of Sarah, she had some scratches and small wounds that he assumed would have come from her journey. She had dark brown eyes that almost appeared black by the smoke of the fire. She was dressed in clothes you would typically place on a man, but yet she still came across as feminine. He wondered how she had gotten here all by herself moderately unscathed until he saw the bow and arrows carefully laid behind her back. He laughed to himself. She was more like Robin Hood than she could even begin to know.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Still not mine, wish it was, maybe the show wouldn't have gotten cancelled. Also, I have a few ideas for pairings floating around in my head. If you are reading and enjoying this story, let me know in reviews if there are any pairings you are absolutely opposed to. I really haven't decided completely which pairings I want to write, but I know which ones I like to read so I may go that way with them. Let me know if you are opposed to slash. I can go either way on slash but I don't want to offend any readers. Also regardless of what pairings I end up choosing, this story will remain teen rated. If people want, I may write some one-shots that fill in some of the details I leave out in the romances. Basically just let me know what you think because I value opinions and even though ultimately I will make the decision based upon where I feel like the characters are pulling me, I also want to make readers happy. Thanks again.  
**

**The Outlaws' Camp**

As morning dawned, Djaq and Will returned from the forest. Djaq's arms were filled with an assortment of herbs and Will's arms were filled with firewood. Allan was still dabbing the cool cloth against Robin's forehead, but it didn't appear to be making much of a difference.

"Has his fever gone down any?" Djaq inquired as she started to mash up some of the herbs. "Not much, if any." Allan replied. "He's tossing and turning less, but he's still burning up."

Djaq took the water bowl from Allan and cleaned it out and refilled it. Then she mixed her mashed herbs into the fresh water. "Keep dabbing the cloth in this and putting it on his forehead. It will keep him cool and the herbs should draw some of the fever out."

During this exchange, some of the others in the camp had started to stir. Much and Marian were the first two to walk over to check on Robin. "How is he?" Marian whispered.

"Still feverish." Allan replied. "But at least he has settled down some." "Allan," Djaq said. "Lay him all the way back down again. I need to know if his coughing has gotten better." On the instant that Allan was no longer supporting Robin's body, he sank back to the earth below him and coughed loudly one time. But the coughing did not continue.

"At least that symptom seems to have gone away." Djaq sighed. Robin restlessly inched himself backward as the warmth he had felt from Allan's body heat had been taken away from him. Allan continued to dab the herbal mixture onto his forehead. The rest of the camp began to stir. Soon Archer and John set out to rekindle the fire from the night before. Tuck and Kate agreed to go out to look for food and Will slept on, tired from the night's excursion.

Allan and Djaq continued tending to Robin. "I think I'm going to go for a walk." Marian said. She started walking off towards the woods when Much said. "I think I'll go too.

The pair started walking down a path through the forest. The walked in companionable silence for a few paces, but then Much broke the silence. "Are you okay Marian?"

"Yes Much, why wouldn't I be okay?" Marian responded rather hastily. "Well, Robin is still ill, and you're not normally the quiet type, yet you haven't said much today."

"Well Much, Robin is alive, we are safe, doesn't seem like there is too much that needs to be talked about."

"How about the fact that you and Djaq and Will just happened to show up in Sherwood Forest at the perfect time? That would be a good place to start." Much replied sarcastically.

"Djaq, Will, and I have been going around England, disbanding the Black Knights, the entire time that you guys have been trying to take down Nottingham."

"And…" Much replied. "We were traveling through York when we heard a tale that 3 men had escaped from the Sheriff of York's clutches only a few days before our arrival. As we snooped around that day, we learned that one of the men was Robin of Locksley. I just had the feeling that something was wrong here in Nottingham if Robin had journeyed to York and been caught. Something important must have been going on. So Djaq, Will, and I headed this way. Every village we passed through had a version of the story to tell. But all of them said that Sheriff Vasey had cornered the outlaws in Nottingham. But as we drew closer, we saw the explosion occur. We figured that either you all were in the castle and had been killed, or that you would have escaped to the forest. So we found you all and well, here we are today."

"You 3 had one heck of a lucky day then to find us and to save Robin." Much murmured.

"I'd like to think it was God's will rather than that of chance. England needs Robin, and she needs the rest of you too."

With that another silence fell over the pair. They realized that during their conversation, they had lost their way. Nothing in the forest looked recognizable to Much, and due to the recent dry weather, their tracks were not thick enough for them to follow back. They were lost.

"Much, please tell me you know where we are." Marian said worriedly. "I do not my lady." Marian groaned and sat down on a tree stump next to the path. "Well, it's still morning. We've have a while to figure out where we are."

"How do you suppose we figure out where we are then? We have no means of determining our location!" Much exclaimed. "Maybe we should call for help?" Marian added. "Yeah, that would be great, attract every predator and remaining guard in the area. That would be perfect."

"Well do you have a better idea? I for one am not going to wander any farther into these woods when we have no clue where we are. We are unarmed so regardless of who shows up we cannot protect ourselves. What are we going to do? Sit here until nightfall and freeze to death when the temperature drops?" Marian added.

"Fine." Much conceded. "HELLO!" he called. "Anyone here?" he heard nothing. Nothing but the sound of a few birds flying from their roosts and the cool breeze drifting through the trees.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Outlaws' Camp**

After Archer and John had rekindled the fire, they sat down next to it to ward off some of the early morning breeze. Tuck and Kate returned with some squirrel and set off to cook it. Much normally cooked, but he and Marian hadn't come back yet.

Soon the meal was ready and the gang sat down to eat. Allan and Djaq ate their meals beside Robin so they could continue caring for him. After they finished eating, Archer was the first to speak. "I think we should go to Nottingham."

Everyone stared at him. "Why in the world would we want to go back to Nottingham?" Little John inquired. "To see how the people are doing, to take tabs on what remains," He trailed off.

"You mean to see if the Sheriff and Gisborne are really dead." Tuck deadpanned. "Well, we could do that too." Archer said.

"I'm not being funny mate, but won't it be crawling with Prince John's men by now, especially if the Sheriff is dead?" Allan replied.

"Yeah, I really don't want to head right back to death after we just narrowly escaped it just a day ago." Kate said.

With that, a round of bickering set off, Archer for visiting Nottingham and the rest of the gang against. A voice they hadn't heard in a while stopped all of them in their tracks.

"We got to Nottingham."

"Robin!" Djaq exclaimed. While they had all been arguing, Robin had sat up on his own and was watching them all with tired eyes. "Robin you need to lay back down." Djaq said worriedly. "I'm fine." He said and started to stand up. He wobbled a little bit, but steadied himself by placing a hand on Allan's shoulder. "I'm fine." He said again for emphasis. "And I agree with my brother. We got to Nottingham."

Djaq looked as if she was going to challenge their leader's words, but at a sideways glance from Robin, she silenced herself. Robin was in a mood where nothing could sway his opinion. He took a few more wobbly steps and picked up his bow and placed his quiver upon his back. He started to head out, but then Will spoke up, "Robin, shouldn't we wait for Much and Marian to return?"

Robin looked to Will and then back to the forest. "I want to wait, but if we do Prince John's men will have even more time to get to Nottingham. If we don't go now, we may not have a chance at getting in safely. And I really don't feel like starting another war today."

With that, Robin started heading out. The rest of the gang picked up their weaponry and started to follow. Then Kate said, "I think I'll stay behind, to let Much and Marian know where the rest of you have gone. If they come back to an empty camp they are bound to think something bad has happened."

"Good idea Kate. And if we haven't come back by nightfall, the three of you might be able to come and save us."

Robin and the rest of the gang headed off in the direction of Nottingham and Kate sat down to tend to the fire. She stole a glance at the place where Robin had been sleeping. She smiled at the thought of him finally being up and well, but then she noticed something shiny beside his bedding. She knew she shouldn't snoop, but she couldn't help herself.

Kate wandered over to Robin's bed area and got down on her hands and knees to take a look. What she saw surprised her. The shiny light was coming off of a ring on a chain, Marian's ring if she remembered correctly. She knew Robin had always worn it around his neck ever since he had thought Marian had died. It was his way to remain connected to her. Logic told her that someone had removed it while he was ill, or he had taken it off because he didn't need an object to remember a woman who was only a few paces away from him now. But Kate couldn't shake the feeling that something deeper was going on. And what that meant for Robin and Marian, she couldn't even begin to guess.

**The Woods/Tunnel Entrance**

Guy and Sarah still remained perched on the log where they had eaten their early morning meal. Guy had started to nod off, his head bobbing from the effort of trying to stay awake. Sarah had started to doze off as well, when they both heard a call from out in the forest. "HELLO! Anyone here?"

Guy and Sarah exchanged a glance, one that seemed to imply the question of whether or not they should respond. Guy went over to grab his sword, but as he did he heard a snicker from behind him. "And what are you going to do with that thing? Club them over the head?" Sarah asked with a smile.

She pulled a sharpened sword out of the saddle bag on Salvador's back. "Use this one." She said as she armed herself with her dagger and bow and quiver. "Where in the world do you get all of these weapons?" Guy asked her, uncharacteristically returning her smile. She acknowledged his question with a glance, but didn't answer. "Let's go."

The pair started walking in the direction the sound had come from, but soon Guy became uncomfortable getting so far from their camp. Sarah could see the tension in his face. She said, not without a hint of exasperation, "What is the matter now?"

"How are you going to remember how to get back to camp?" "Easy."

She whistled and called out Salvador's name. He whinnied back at the camp. "Like that." She said. "Oh," Guy replied. He was starting to get irritated by the fact that she always made him feel so incompetent. "Of course, if I could keep my mouth shut, I might avoid feeling so stupid." He thought to himself.

"Are you satisfied that I am not leading you out into the forest to get ourselves lost now?" Sarah inquired. "Yes, I trust you." Guy said and thought that maybe it was a bit weird to trust a girl he had only known for the better part of a day now. "Alright then, now we find those voices."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: The usual disclaimer applies. **

**I am so very sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I've even broken my own personal rule of not posting before the next chapter is written because you all deserve the next chapter. I have been exceptionally busy the past few days, but I will hopefully get back on schedule tomorrow. I am preparing to move into college next weekend and I have also been out of state playing softball so I haven't been with my computer to work on anything. I am about halfway through writing chapter 8 at this moment. The plan is to finish chapter 8 and 9 tomorrow when I get home from the tournament I'm playing in. If I am feeling particularly inspired I will attempt to write chapter 10 as well. Please continue reviewing especially in regards to pairings because I am attempting to start establishing pairings from the next chapter forward. If there is anything that would especially bother you please message me or leave a review because I do not have personal pairings that I really prefer, it is all about what I feel is believable with the characters, but if there is any sort of pairing that would turn you off to my story please let me know because I don't want to turn readers away. Thanks again, I'll shut up now so you can read the next chapter. Cheers.**

**Nottingham Castle**

Robin and the gang continued walking towards the remaining rubble of Nottingham Castle. They were moving a lot slower than they wanted to, Robin was still hindered by bouts of pain and fatigue. The rest of the gang knew they should probably stop and take a break, for Robin's sake. But they also knew their leader, he was determined to get to Nottingham and short of another full blown injury or illness, nothing could stop him.

Allan and Will walked ahead with Robin, while the rest of the gang hung back a few paces. The strategy was normal for their trips to the castle, but their motivation behind it was different. In normal circumstances, three would go ahead so if an ambush was planned, they would find it before the others who could either hide or attack back depending on the size of the threat.

Today the reason for the three ahead strategy was due to Robin's condition. He wanted to continue as normal, so there was no stopping him from attempting to surge ahead, but Allan and Will accompanied him only out of fear for their leader's safety. At this point they would have all preferred to be as close as possible. Almost losing multiple people in one day takes a toll on company morale after all.

As they neared Nottingham, it was evident that Prince John had sent men ahead. They could see signs of their camps the closer they got to the castle. But the unsettling thing was that they didn't see any of the actual men, just their supplies. Other than a pair of Prince John's guards posted at the entrance to the castle, they didn't see another enemy for as far as their eyes could reach.

They decided to split into two groups. Little John, Allan, Archer, and Robin would be the first group. And Will, Djaq, and Tuck would be the second. They wanted to be able to cover the castle as quickly as possible so there would be less chance of running into Prince John's other guards that had to be hidden in the castle since they weren't outside. The groups split at the edge of the forest and approached the guards from the sides. Allan was at the lead of the first group and Will was at the lead of the second. The two made eye contact and then rushed forward at the guards. They slew them with one stroke of their weapons and the guards crumpled to the ground.

Allan's group headed to the left while Will's group headed to the right. The groups canvased the castle, only finding a mass number of dead Sheriff's guards, and a lot of rubble. Then Allan's group came to the room where they had thought they would make their last stand only a day ago. The first thing they saw was Isabella; she lay covered in blood from the wound they could only assume had killed her. As they shifted around through the room, they heard a groaning noise. The four quickly turned to where the sound had come from and saw Sheriff Vasey sitting trapped under the rubble. They could see blood on him that they assumed had come from injuries. Allan drew his blade and ran at the Sheriff with the intention of killing him. But Robin let out a roar, "NO!"

"There will be no more bloodshed today Allan." Robin appeared weary as he looked at the bodies that surrounded him. "Robin, he tried to kill us all! He shouldn't be allowed to live!"

"If he dies, Prince John will send men to destroy Nottingham."

"Destroy it? It's already been destroyed! What can Prince John do at this point, blow up the rubble? Add a little more dust to the situation! We have nothing left to lose here Robin, he should die for the things he's done!"

"He's right…" the Sheriff groaned out. "He's right you know. I do deserve to die. I killed so many, and what did I gain? Nothing." He wheezed. "I thought Prince John liked me, wanted me to help him lead, and would give me more power. I was wrong. He told Gisborne to kill me to prove his allegiance. I was nothing more than a pawn. Is this how it feels Hood? Every time I caught you and belittled you? Did you ever feel like a pawn? Because I've never felt more insignificant in my existence."

"No, Robin. No. Do not let him convince you that he's really not bad at the heart. Don't let him play with your emotions. He's still the ruthless Sheriff. He still killed Gisborne. He led us all to this madness. Don't let him play with your head Robin!" Allan exclaimed.

Robin glanced from Allan to the Sheriff and back. "Allan, you are right. He does deserve to die. But we don't always get what we deserve in life. We get what we are dealt. And he was right all those years ago. I have lost my taste for bloodshed. I saw enough of it in the Holy Land and I do not wish to add more blood to my total today. He will come back with us. He will be our prisoner. At least until we figure out something to do with him."

With that he turned to the Sheriff. "And if you ever betray the fact that I showed mercy on you, I will add to my blood count. Let's get you up and let's get out of here."

"Hood I can't." The Sheriff groaned. "My leg, it's trapped, but I can't remove the rubble. I'll bleed out if I remove it."

Robin looked around and saw a tapestry that used to hang on the castle wall looming in the corner. He used his dagger to cut a few strips of it off. He told Little John to lift the rubble and Archer to put pressure on the wound. As Little John removed the rubble, Archer immediately crushed his hands down on the Sheriff's leg to try and hold back the bleeding. "Ouch!" The Sheriff groaned out. "Suck it up!" Allan sarcastically spit back. Robin hastily tied the makeshift bandages around the wound. The wound was still bleeding, but the bandages were at least slowing it.

"We have to get him back to camp, Djaq can fix him up." They started to leave but then realized that the Sheriff could hardly walk. "You owe me big time." Little John said and threw the Sheriff over his shoulder. They walked out of the room and saw Will's group across the castle. Robin motioned for them to follow them out of the castle. All of a sudden, an arrow flew in from his right. He managed to dodge it and loaded his bow to return fire. As he went to fire the arrow, a great scorching pain coursed through his upper body and he dropped to the stone covered ground, crippled with the pain.

Archer grabbed his own bow and fired his arrow at the shooter. The shooter fell out from the shadows; it was another one of Prince John's guards. Suddenly, the gang of outlaws realized they were surrounded by guards, all peeping out from the shadows. Allan let out a hearty battle cry and ran towards the nearest guard. The others followed suit and began fighting the guards. Little John swung his staff all the while still protecting the Sheriff who remained hanging from John's shoulder.

The gang defeated the guards, but decided they had better leave before more returned to take them on. It was at that point that they realized Robin was still down. He was on the floor, writhing in pain in his arms. Djaq said, "I knew he couldn't be better already!" And went to Robin's side. "The pain always gets worse right before they get better." Djaq started to tend to him, but Allan stopped her. "We do not have time here. There will be more guards in a minute. Allan grabbed Robin up and the gang started running towards the forest. Once they were a few hundred paces into the forest, they all stopped to catch their breath. Allan placed Robin down on the ground as Little John did the same to the Sheriff. All was calm as they gasped for breath until finally Will broke the silence. "Why in the world is the Sheriff with us?" Robin let out a temporary smirk and then returned to his pained grimace. "Robin will have to explain that one." Allan said.

Then Little John spoke, "Apparently according to Robin, him we like."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Once again I don't own anything but my own plot. See my original disclaimer if you take issue. **

**On another note, I am so sorry for the wait! I moved into college last weekend and had class all week and this was the first chance I've had to work on this story! I'm going to make more of an effort to try and work on this, but what will probably end up happening is that I only work on this on the weekends. I hope you like the chapter! As always, reviews are a writer's crack so please comment on it! Thanks again!**

**Sherwood Forest**

Despite the fact that Much and Marian had gotten themselves lost in the morning, by the early afternoon hour, they were still sitting upon stumps in the small clearing where they had found themselves after their walk. Much and Marian stared at each other, both at a loss for words at their current situation.

Suddenly they both heard the sound of footsteps approaching their little clearing. They could hear the loud crunching of leaves underneath heavy footfall. "If they are hoping to sneak up on us, you would think they wouldn't go traipsing through the leaves." Much whispered. Marian shot a glance at him that silenced Much's whispering.

Then the pair heard a voice, "Hello?" the voice inquired. "Did someone call for help?"

Much and Marian exchanged glances, both silently deciding whether or not to answer. Then Marian made her decision. "Over here," she called. "We're lost."

Much stood transfixed as he saw the owner of the voice enter from behind a tree. Being that Much did not have any sort of filter from his brain to his mouth, he blurted out, "You're a girl."

"Yes, I am a girl. And how long have you been lost out here?" She inquired sarcastically.

"Sorry," Marian replied. "Much doesn't really think before he speaks. What's your name?"

"My name is Sarah, and this is…" Sarah was cut off by a sharp gasp from the person she was just getting ready to introduce, Guy.

"Marian?" Guy inquired hesitantly. Marian stared at the man for a moment before she realized who he was. "Guy?"

"Marian is it really you?" He rushed towards her, arms outstretched as if he would attempt a hug. But Marian stepped back and instead his arms landed upon hers. "I thought I would never see you again."

"If you had done your job correctly, maybe you wouldn't have. Thankfully, your poor handy work and the intuition of Djaq saved my life in the desert. Because if you remember correctly, you left me to die there."

"That was never my decision! The Sheriff…"

"Of course the Sheriff! Because you never made a bloody decision on your own did you! You left me to die there. So don't act as if you care. If you cared you wouldn't have left me alone there, you wouldn't have tried to kill the King, you wouldn't have betrayed your country!" Marian shouted.

"How would you know what I've done since I left that day?! It may have taken me a long time, but I made the right decision. I fight with Robin now! How dare you talk to me like this?!" Guy returned.

"What do you mean you fight with Robin?" Marian inquired. "You hated Robin. You hate Robin."

"I don't hate Robin. I never hated Robin. I just always thought he was wrong. But I was wrong. The Sheriff, he sold me out. To Prince John. I should have known. All he ever wanted was power anyway." With that Guy trailed off, his gaze finally breaking from Marian's eyes and wandering down to the earth beneath him.

"Well, now that we've had that screaming match." Much mumbled. Another uncomfortable silence settled over the four.

Sarah broke the silence. "How long have you two been out here?" Marian replied. "Almost all day."

"We went for a walk this morning and got lost." Much added. "Leave it to you to get lost Much." Guy mumbled but both Sarah and Marian shot him a glance. Upon realizing their joint reaction, the two girls smiled at each other. "Do you have any idea which way you came from?" Sarah asked.

"I have a vague idea. We might have come from that way." Marian gestured towards the opposite way of Guy and Sarah's camp. "We need to get back to our camp."

"Hold on here for a moment. I'll go back and grab up our things from camp and we can head out." Sarah said.

Guy and Sarah headed back to their camp. Within about 10 minutes, the pair had returned to Marian and Much's location. "Now Marian, which way did you say we should go?"

**Another Part of Sherwood Forest**

Despite Robin's lack of explanation for the situation, the band of merry men started walking back towards their camp. The group made a slow journey, mostly because of Robin's debilitated state. Every few moments he would have to stop to catch his breath as pains wracked his frame. John was still carrying the Sheriff, much to the amazement of the rest of the group. Will, Djaq, and Tuck looked as if they wanted an explanation, but were too scared to ask.

A few hours later, they arrived back at camp. Kate welcomed them with fresh water and some game she had caught and prepared. Of course the meal had nothing on Much's normal cooking, but it was substantial anyway.

Uncharacteristically, Robin didn't eat and instead went to lie down in his bedding. The others wanted Djaq to go and help him, but there was nothing she could do for him. He would simply have to ride the pain out. Instead, after the meal, Djaq began tending to the Sheriff's leg. The gash was deep, but it wasn't anything more than what she could handle. She cleansed the wound and stitched it up.

As the sun began setting, the gang settled down to get ready for bed. Will and Djaq went off to their shared bedding and Archer, John, Tuck, and Kate all went to their respective beds. Allan pulled some of the extra bedding from where it was being stored and placed it near the fire for the Sheriff. The Sheriff was asleep, out from the pain killing drought Djaq had given him, and didn't even notice Allan's presence.

Allan then wandered over towards his bed. His was the closest to Robin's. He lay down, after giving a glance in their leader's direction and tried to go to sleep. He could hear Robin whimpering in pain from the bed next to him. He leaned up on his right elbow. His hand placed under his head. He took his left arm and placed it on Robin's arm. Their leader settled a bit, his whimpering toned down in volume. Allan then moved his hand up to stroke through Robin's hair. Immediately upon doing so, his body stilled. Alan continued to stroke his hair as they both fell into a deep slumber.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: ****Once again, I do not own anything except for my own plot devices and Sarah. See the disclaimer from earlier if you have a problem with this. My goal is to continue to upload on a weekly basis as I have the past 2 weeks. Saturdays are about the only time I have to work on this because of my college workload. (17 credit hours in my first semester :/ I'm going to die.) But, we have a 3 day weekend due to Labor Day, so I finished this chapter today and I am working on chapter 10 as I type this author's note. My goal is for that to go out tomorrow. Two chapters in one week I know, shocker. Please let me know if you do or do not like the decisions I am making with this story. I love it so far, and I am writing the characters as they are pulling me to do so. However, if the majority doesn't like a decision I make, I am more than willing to try and accommodate them. It is my story, but it really doesn't mean anything if people don't want to read it. Also, for bonus points, if you can guess the pairings I am planning on pursuing, you get internet brownie points (or maybe I'll give you a sneak preview of what I am planning on having happen in the next chapter! :0) Thanks again! Reviews are an author's crack so please review! It makes my little heart smile when I get a new one! Special shout out to the guest reviewer who reviewed my story and to Bookworm41 for reading and reviewing on almost every chapter! Love getting feedback! Hope everyone is having a pleasant day!  
**

**Chapter 9**

**The Outlaw's Camp**

The next morning found Robin and Allan still sleeping, Allan's hand propped a top Robin's hair, both facing each other as they slept. As Robin started to come out of his slumber, he realized the position he was in. Fearing what the other members of the gang would think, he immediately jerked up into a sitting position. He jumped up and headed off towards the woods, his body finally feeling whole for the first time in a few days.

Had Robin glanced back, he would have seen the look of confusion planted upon Allan's face, but he didn't look back. Allan rolled over and went back to sleep. It was early after all.

Robin went intended to march out of camp, when he heard voices. He grabbed his bow and readied an arrow, but then put it back down as he saw Much and Marian approaching. However, he quickly grabbed it back up upon seeing Gisborne and a woman following along with them. "Who goes there?" Robin bellowed. The other members of the gang heard the yell and jumped up to grab their weapons.

"Honestly Robin," Guy sighed. "Such a warm welcome you bestow upon us." He droned sarcastically. The leaves crunched beneath his boots as he walked into the camp. "Marian and Much are welcome, but not you. And your guest isn't welcome either."

"Robin, really? Grow up why don't you. Come on in." Marian said. "Before you put an arrow through her, this is Sarah." Much said. "She's the only reason we aren't still lost out in the woods."

At that, Robin gave an indescribable look in their direction. "You forgot we were lost didn't you?" Much said. Robin looked away to hide his embarrassment. "Honestly Robin, how could you forget your best friend and lady/girlfriend/special person?" Much replied. Robin looked down and away. Under his breath, he mumbled, "Welcome Sarah. Thank you for helping our friends."

With that he wandered past the four and headed out into the woods. "Did I do something to offend him?" Sarah asked.

"No," Allan said with a sigh. "That's just him lately." Allan grabbed a pack of hunting supplies and headed out of camp, the opposite way from Robin.

"Don't let Robin scare you off. It's been a rough few days." Djaq said. She took Sarah by the arm and led her around the camp, showing her where everything was. Tuck uneasily handed a cup of ale to Guy while Marian went to change out of her dirt-ridden clothes from the past day. Much headed over to the campfire so he could start working on the morning meal.

As Much stepped closer to the fire, he saw someone lying near it. When Much moved the blanket off of the person's face, he gasped in shock and jumped back. "What in the…?" He looked again just to make sure. "It's the bloody Sheriff!" Much exclaimed.

"Yes it's me you dunderhead. Who else would I be?" the Sheriff groaned under a sleep heavy voice. "You're supposed to be dead, you know! It's the way things work! The bad guy is supposed to die, good guy prevails, you know, normal!"

"Since when have we ever had normal?" Will asked with a bit of a chuckle. "Heck, weird is our normal." With a small shake of his head, he walked over to talk to Little John.

"Well, I for one do not understand why the sheriff is lying next to our fire." Much deadpanned.

"He is lying there because Robin said so. And because we trust Robin." Archer said with a straight face. "Robin said that there was to be no more dying on his watch. The Sheriff was injured, so we brought him back here. If you've got a problem with it, take it up with Robin. I for one don't think it's worth the fight. What could a man with a broken leg really do to us anyway." With that Archer shrugged and went to join the other guys.

"Oh I'll show you what I could do…ahhhh!" Sheriff Vasey tried to stand up to prove his point, but sunk back to the ground quickly due to the state of his leg. If one was paying attention, one would have heard a slight chuckle from Guy at his former leader's misfortune.

Much eventually gave up and settled down by the fire to start cooking. Djaq administered another pain killing draft to the Sheriff and Sarah sat down on a log next to Much. As Much was cooking, he saw the sheriff drift off into sleep. With sleep cast across his face, the sheriff didn't seem quite so evil, but Much couldn't shake the memories of their troubles caused by the Sheriff. He saw all the people who had been hung, shot through with arrows, or stabbed, in the front of his mind as he gazed at the Sheriff's face. He gave a little shudder and turned his attention back to the rabbit he was cooking.

"You alright?" Sarah inquired. "I'm fine." Sarah lifted her eyebrow at the statement and Much sighed. "Look, I know I can't possibly understand why you seem to hate that man so much. But, regardless of what he did or ever will do, you have to let yourself get over it. Stop blaming yourself for whatever caused those emotions to cross your face. Whatever happened has already happened, you can't change it. And you certainly can't avenge it. Vengeance never makes anything better."

"Sounds like you're talking from experience." "Maybe I am." "Look, the look I gave him didn't mean anything. It's no big deal." Much clammed up after that. That worried Sarah a bit, seeing as Much had talked nonstop all the way back to camp. Sarah looked around, everyone seemed to have their place. Guy and Marian talking in hushed tones, Archer, Little John, Will, Tuck and Kate talking in a huddle over ale, and Much, and the Sheriff sitting by the fire. With all of these people, the camp seemed to fit, to work. But she felt out of the mix. She assumed the camaraderie was due to Robin, but he was not around for her to ask any questions. "I think I'm going to go for a walk." Sarah said. Much gave a small nod in her direction as she walked off.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**** Still don't own anything but my plot and my OC Sarah. Disclaimer in past chapters.**

**Alright, I lied. Well not technically. It is Sunday here. It's 12:12 am as I type this. But I hit a random burst of creativeness and thus Chapter 10 was born. I'm going to continue working and hopefully by later Sunday afternoon chapter 11 will be here as well. I've literally written this in the last half hour, but I've proofread it twice so hopefully there are no errors. Please continue reading and reviewing, the story is at a pivotal point as far as some of the relationships and story arcs go so please let me know if you don't like something I'm doing. If the majority doesn't like it then I can try to change my ideas a bit. Otherwise I'm going to assume everyone likes it and keep going. Once I have relationships established, or if you guys think of any from what I've already written, I would love to write some one-shots to maybe fill in a few of the small time gaps I've left. Wouldn't be opposed to trying to write some M rated stuff, but normally my range is K+ to T so don't expect perfection. Just basically, please continue to review or if you don't want to review but want to raise either an issue or discuss the story, feel free to send me a personal message! Love having feedback, it makes me want to keep writing, makes me feel like I have to be accountable with this story! Much love to everyone reading, hope you have a pleasant Sunday! **

**Chapter 10**

**The Forest**

Sarah started walking in the direction she saw Robin had headed. She could see his footprints as they littered the path he had taken. She followed his path for a few minutes, each step she took away from the camp made her feel a bit more at home. Guy had returned her sword and its weight hung heavy off her belt, bow and quiver upon her back, and dagger in her pocket, she felt at home. Despite growing up in a farm town, she had learned to love the forest, it made her feel alive as a person. As a child she had spent most of her free time out in the forest, it was how she had learned to live off of the land.

As the uneasy feeling of being watched from the camp left her, Sarah finally relaxed fully into her surroundings. She could depend less on the dwindling tracks Robin had left her to follow, and focus more on tracking him. It became like a hunt, adrenaline and longing for the heat of capture and victory swimming in her veins. She eventually tracked Robin to a little bit of a clearing in the forest, a small brook ran by where he had stopped to sit down. Robin looked sad and a bit distraught, but mostly confused. Sarah wanted to make up for the awkward meeting earlier in the morning, so she decided to cheer him up.

Sarah climbed the tree that he was sitting under, so light footed was she that she didn't disturb a single leaf. Even if Robin had been paying perfect attention, he would not have heard her ascension into the tree. She gracefully glided across the branch above Robin's head. She took her pouch of water from her belt and opened the end just slightly. She allowed a few drops of water to fall out, each landing on Robin's head. By about the fifth drop, Robin glanced upward, confused as there was no rain falling around him. Sarah lay flat against the branch, making herself invisible from below. She continued this pattern of dropping water and hiding until Robin got up and moved from underneath her branch. In order to really mess with him, she climbed up a little higher and restarted the process from the new branch. Eventually after his confused looks continued to get stronger, Sarah couldn't help herself and started to laugh. As Robin looked up at the noise, she peaked her head out from behind the branch.

Robin gave her a look of condescension for her actions and looked back down at the ground. "Well that certainly won't do," Sarah thought. She climbed back down the tree, once again without a sound and sat down on the ground next to Robin. "I thought that might make you laugh." She said to break the silence. "But apparently I'm not as funny as I think." She said with a small smile.

That got a slight chuckle out of Robin. "A few days ago, I would have found it funny. Just not lately." He said with a sigh. "I know you don't know me all that well, but sometimes talking to someone on the outside can help. What's bothering you? And don't say nothing, you and I both know that's a cop out phrase. And besides, Much already stole the one time I'll let that go as an answer for today." She smiled up at him again.

Something about Sarah made him feel a bit more at ease. But he also wanted to make a good impression, he couldn't just pour out all that was bothering him on someone he just met a few hours ago. "You're right, it's not nothing. But I don't feel that it would be right just to dump all of this on you."

"Then don't dump the whole thing, but maybe just a bit. Like instead of eating a whole pie, just take a small slice. Generally, that little slice is better than nothing."

"I'm confused Sarah." Robin said.

"So are a lot of people. What makes your confusion so special?" He laughed at her comment. "Nothing in particular makes mine special, I'm just not used to feeling confused. In war I knew what I had to do, cut and dry there was only one or two options at most and you went with what would cause the greater good to come out. Back here, that's the way I've always lived my life. I've always gone with my gut, done what I thought was best for the greater good. But now…I don't even know what to think anymore. Suddenly the Sheriff is sort of an ally, but not really,"

Sarah interrupted, "A frienemy?" "Yeah sort of, Guy, well I'm technically related to him, Will and Djaq are back from the Holy Land, Marian isn't dead, you're here, I almost died, it's been a bit messy lately. And I guess I don't know where to go from here. Everything I knew has been flipped around."

"Is it safe to say that your gut isn't saying anything for you to do."

"No, more like the opposite. It keeps screaming for me to do something, anything. To make some sense of this situation. To make decisions, but I don't like any of the options it is giving me."

"Options?" Sarah inquired. "Well the first was kill the sheriff, and I thought that's what I would have wanted to do, but I couldn't. He was so helpless and I couldn't just do that to him. Which makes no sense, I should hate him and I do, but not enough to murder him. Second, well I just really don't know what to do about Marian. We were engaged, over a year ago. But I don't know where we stand. And with Guy also in the picture, things are back to the shade of grey they always were. I don't even know if I feel like fighting for her anymore. I don't even know if my men trust me anymore. I've been so scatterbrained lately. And things have just gotten a bit weird with some of the gang lately."

"First off Robin, I think it was fate you didn't kill the sheriff because the only reason I'm even here was because I intended to speak to the sheriff. Second, your men trust you to within an inch of their lives. Saw that today in camp when Much realized you had spared the Sheriff. Thirdly, I don't know what you mean by weird, because I've just met you all. But, I'm sure things will sort themselves out. You've got a family there Robin, even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes." With that Sarah stood up. "I'd better head back to camp. Don't want to make myself seem too much of a loner on my first day here." She smiled and left. Robin continued to sit in the clearing. He moved to where his hand would dangle in the cool water. He smiled at the reflection in the water. He sighed and leaned his head back against the tree he was propped up against. His mind wandered to his troubles, what to do with the sheriff, what to do about Gisborne and Marian, what to do with Nottingham, what to do with Prince John, what to do about…Allan. Robin hadn't meant to react the way he did this morning. He hoped that Allan had not awoken to see his reaction. Robin didn't exactly mind the fact that Allan had slept next to him to help him through his pain. Somehow though, he felt that waking up under his arm was flirting with a line. And it was a line he had never hoped to ever see in all of his days. He realized he couldn't handle that train of thought anymore and headed back to safer territory, thinking of Nottingham, Prince John, and battle strategies were safe, methodical. Nothing unexpected could come of those thoughts. And they would help him make his next move. As he thought of Nottingham, his mind drifted to Locksley. Of his land and his servants, his people. And with a happy smile he drifted off into sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: ****Sorry for the delay, I've been busy doing laundry and other boring college stuff. Well, that's a lie. I've actually been exceptionally homesick and it has kind of wrecked my life for a few days. I'm better now; a little less depressed so it's time I gave you the next chapter of this story. I pondered this scene for about two weeks now. I wrote about the first 5 or 6 paragraphs over two weeks ago, but I couldn't figure out how I wanted to write the rest of it. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but I told myself just to quit fretting over it and go with it. Let me know what you guys think of it. I'm always open to suggestions. I hope anyone who reads this is having a lovely day and that you have a lovely week as well! As always, I only own Sarah and my plot. Reviews are crack, please send them my way, and love to all who are reading!**

**Chapter 11**

**The Forest**

Allan had been hunting for over an hour now and had nothing to show for it. His head just wasn't in it. He had seen two deer already, the second of which would have been enough meat to feed them all for probably two days. But no, he had missed with his shot and thus was still wandering through the forest alone.

He had been hunting all morning. He was distracted, mentally at least. Even when trying to pay the utmost attention to his prey, he found that he couldn't. His mind would wander off to deep dark places. Recesses in his mind that normally only his deepest sleeps could touch, now were floating freely throughout his conscious mind. What could he do? He'd never felt like this before. He was Allan a Dale. If he didn't already have a plan, he could think on his feet, come up with the best decision he possibly could within the circumstance. But this was different. This wasn't a battle, or a trick, or a deal to make. This was his mind and his heart picking sides, pulling him in two totally opposite directions. How could he choose? But how could he not?

"Bullocks!" He yelled as he missed his third shot of the day. He had missed another buck. He had to bring back something, otherwise the gang would become suspicious, or worse they would make fun of him for his lack of hunting ability. "Snap out of it mate." He thought to himself.

After a few more arrows and two missed rabbits, Allan decided to take a break. He wasn't accomplishing anything except for depleting his arrow supplies. He started just walking through the forest. The trees still looked familiar so he wasn't worried about getting lost. Soon though, he came upon the edge of a clearing. He started to head for the brook, when he saw Robin sitting by the edge. "Shoot!" He thought and darted behind a tree.

He peeked out from behind the tree and realized that Robin hadn't noticed his presence and was still sleeping soundly. He should leave, find somewhere else to think. But having another person in the vicinity made him feel less lonely, even though half of his problems were sitting right on the other side of the tree. He really hoped he hadn't offended Robin. He was just trying to help. Ever since Robin had come back injured, he hadn't been sleeping well. Allan had noticed that if he stroked Robin's hair it helped Robin to sleep. And a silent, sleeping Robin was good for the whole gang. He hadn't meant for the two of them to wake up sleeping so close together. It wasn't anything like it looked like; at least he didn't think it was. But obviously Robin had taken it the wrong way based upon his reactions this morning.

He didn't want Robin to hate him. That was the last thing he would ever want. But that was all he could think about, that Robin would hate him. He cared too much about Robin and by extension the rest of the gang for any of them to have ill will for him again. It had been impossible the first time and he knew it would kill him if it happened a second time. God what could he do. How could he make things right between Robin and himself?

"You could start by talking to me."

"Bloody hell mate! I'm not being funny, but you can't just go reading people's minds and all that!" Allan yelled back.

"I didn't read your mind, Allan." Robin said with a sigh. "You've been thinking out loud for about 5 minutes now." "Oh." Allan replied. "I'm sorry." Allan said faintly.

"Sorry for thinking or sorry for thinking out loud?" Robin inquired. "No, I'm sorry for this morning."

"What are you sorry about?" "Well, you know. We woke up in kind of an _interesting _position. I saw, well more I felt your reaction when you jerked up this morning."

"Allan, I wasn't mad. More startled than anything."

"Robin, I hope you didn't think that what I did meant anything more than what it did. I was just trying to help you sleep and rubbing your hair worked. And it kind of relaxed me as well. And I fell asleep. That's it. Nothing more."

"I know that Allan. Just took me a little thinking to work it out. I'm sorry for the way I reacted."

"No problem mate." Robin stood and Allan sat, but the silence was tangible.

All of a sudden, Allan jumped up. "I lied." He grabbed Robin by the front of his shirt and hauled him in for a kiss. But what Allan had hoped would be the perfect moment was shattered. Instead of love and hope and happiness, all Allan felt was the scrape of beard scruff, the sweat on his palms as he gripped Robin's shirt and nerves. Robin was frozen, he couldn't even think, nonetheless respond. Allan kissed him as Robin stood there motionless, stuck to the ground. It was if he awoke from a slumber as he jerked back to life and pulled away suddenly. He spit into the ground, shaking his head, unable to make eye contact with Allan.

"Robin I'm sorry I just…" Robin threw up his hand and Allan quieted. "I'm sorry, so sorry." He whispered. With that, Allan took off running into the forest. Robin didn't, couldn't move. He stood rooted to the ground where he had moved after the kiss. "The _kiss._" Robin thought. "Why did he kiss me? Oh my lord he kissed me." The internal wheels in Robin's brain started turning at lightning speeds as he finally processed what had happened. He wandered back towards the camp, ambling along as he went, brain scattered by the moments before.

As he walked into camp, all the heads whipped toward him. "Robin?" Sarah inquired, seeing the look of pure confusion on his face. "Robin, are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm just…yeah…" He trailed off and headed for his bed. "Where's Allan?" he heard Djaq inquire. "He's gone into the forest." Robin said quietly. "He's gone into the forest.

**Post Chapter Author's Note: I've never done a post chapter note before, but this one is to plug some of my other writing. I'm going to be posting a new story in the next week or so, it is going to be called One of the Boys. When I post it (I'm trying to get a couple chapters ahead writing it so I can post regularly for the first few chapters) I would love it if you could check it out. Let me know if you like it. Also, I've written a one shot called Allan's Betrayal Revisited. Please check it out as well and let me know if you like it! Love to all and I'll try not to take so long before I post the next chapter! Thanks again!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Author's Note: So, I'm not going to rehash the misery that was the lovely review I received two weeks ago that sent me into a writing tizzy. I've decided that I don't give two craps about what that reviewer said and that I'm not going to let it affect me. I do still care about what the readers think though, so keep letting me know. (If you disagree with me morally, or wish to insult me, don't bother arguing or posting rude comments. However if you wish to have an intelligent discussion about something, don't hesitate to message me.)**

**I would like to say thanks to everyone that reviewed and gave me support. Also, I'm going to try and incorporate more of what you'd like to see in the story. Also, I know the plot line between Allan and Robin is probably going to get much darker in the coming chapters, but I'm going to try and combat that with more fluffy goodness with the other characters. Basically I don't want this to become an angst fest.**

**Also, the reviews and support meant more than I can tell you. I'd like to say that the reason I haven't posted lately has to do with me being on some exciting adventure. This is not the case. Sadly enough I have been swamped with college work. 17 credit hours in your first semester are tough. I've had multiple exams, papers, and tons of homework. I also have midterms coming up. I went home two weekends ago and last weekend my parents visited for family weekend so right now is the first moment I've sat down to work on this story in over two weeks. Sorry about that. I'll try to do better. Love to all! Please continue with feedback! It makes my heart smile!**

**(Insert usual disclaimer here. On with the story!)**

**The Camp**

"What do you mean he's gone into the forest?" Little John bellowed. "Yeah, he was supposed to be coming back with dinner!" Much continued. Robin walked blindly towards the fire and sat down on a log.

Marian looked around at the rest of the gang. They all appeared angry at Allan; they were terribly hungry after all. But it seemed Marian was the only one who truly picked up on Robin's discomfort. She walked over and intended to sit down next to him when he suddenly jumped up and headed back into the forest from the way he had entered camp.

"You bring him back with food!" Much yelled, but no one really took his threat seriously.

As Robin stormed off, Marian looked confusedly in his direction. "You're worrying about him again aren't you?" A husky voice inquired.

"Yes Guy, I am." Marian replied. "Why do you care? Does it concern you?"

"It does concern me; if he concerns you then it concerns me because I am concerned about you."

"That's a lot of concerning, and you only care because you want me to be your wife. Just like always. Nothing ever changes does it?"

"Hold on now. Who said anything about marrying you?" Guy replied. "You have. For the last 3 years now."

"Yes, but the last time was over a year ago. Why would the offer still stand?"

"Because despite that year, you are you and I am still me. Our dilemma hasn't changed, only the circumstances. Rather than standing in Knighton Hall, now we stand in Sherwood Forest. You still only want me to be your trophy wife. And I still only want the part of you that you keep hidden under lock and key."

"You could never be a trophy wife. You're much too opinionated for that."

"Wouldn't want to be a trophy wife. But that's what I would be for you isn't it. I wouldn't be a trophy with Robin. He would respect me."

"And yet after all of this dancing around each other for these 3 years you still aren't married. Even after all of your flirtation in Nottingham, frolicking about in these blasted woods, nursing him back to health and you still aren't married to him. Isn't that peculiar?" He snarled and started to walk away.

Marian grabbed his arm. She then released her grasp and smoothed the leather that she had disturbed. "Sorry," Guy responded. "That was unnecessary."

"No, maybe you're right. But just because things haven't panned out for Robin and me, it doesn't give you a free pass at me either."

"Wouldn't expect a free pass. What's the fun in winning without a little chase?" He said with a smirk and then sauntered off across the camp. A light smiled dotted his face as he went. Marian chuckled at him. "Good God you two, get a room already!" The sheriff groaned from his spot next to the fire. That comment only served to make Marian laugh harder as the sheriff looked terribly dejected as he was forced to let Djaq put more healing rub on his leg.

**The Forest**

Robin walked hurriedly out into the woods in the direction that Allan had appeared to run. His anger at the occurrence in the woods earlier was seething through his veins. (He wasn't gay. He didn't like Allan.)

The crunch of leaves under his boots signaled fall, but even the thought of a cozy fire and a warm meal couldn't calm his blood from the boiling state it was in. He continued to stomp along, allowing his anger to build.

He had already decided that he was going to knock the crap out of Allan. One good punch to the nose should set him back to his normal self and then the two could go on about their lives. They would never need to mention what happened in the woods ever again.

He peeked out around a tree blocking his path and he saw the back of Allan's head. He was fully determined to throttle him. But then Allan must have heard his footsteps. The distraught face that Robin was faced with sent his heart all the way out of his chest and down into his shoes. Allan's face was tear-stained; his eyes were puffy and red. Dirt was caked about from where he had placed his hands on his face as he sobbed.

As Allan saw Robin, he started to try and run off. He made it a few feet before crashing to the ground. In his grief he had not seen a tree root and thus tumbled to the earth. Robin expected him to get up and try again. But he didn't. The man just lay there, covered in muck and debris from the ground.

Robin could not hear sobbing, but he could see the body heaving with exertion. His whole frame shook with violent, but soundless sobs. "Allan?" Robin inquired.

In the midst of sniffling and gasping for air, Allan let out a mumbled, "Just do it already."

"Just do what already?" Robin responded. Allan gasped a bit more and finally bit out an angry, "JUST DO IT ALREADY!"

"JUST DO WHAT ALREADY!" Robin responded with equal gusto. If it was possible, Allan looked like he broke down more. "Just kill me already. I can't take your scorn, your hatred. Just kill me already."

Contrary to his earlier decision, Robin responded with, "Allan I don't hate you."

"You told the others didn't you. Oh God. You told them. Now they hate me too. Oh God. I can never go back now. Oh God. Just. Oh God!" Allan continued to get more and more distressed with each word.

"Geez, chill out! I didn't tell the others. I swear on my life I didn't tell another soul!" Robin responded. "And I'm not going to. We can sort this out amongst ourselves."

There was a silence that fell in the forest for a few minutes. Allan continued sniffling while Robin continued looking forlorn.

Eventually there was a small whisper, "You do to." Robin gave Allan a confused look.

"You do to hate me. How could you not? I'm a dirty sodomite. And I made you one too."

"Allan, you're not dirty. We are not dirty. It was just one kiss. And besides I thought you didn't believe in God or sin, Mr. I'm Good With Nuns." Robin said with a smirk, attempting to lighten the mood. It failed. Allan gave Robin a stern glare as his sniffling had finally been subdued. "Allan, it's fine. No harm done. We'll move on from this moment. It never happened. We never have to talk about it again or feel bad about it again. We move on."

Allan didn't say anything back, so Robin assumed all was well. He started to walk back towards camp when he was stopped in his track by one small speech.

"No. I won't forget. Because it may have been dirty. It may have been sodomy in the church's eye. But for one moment, I let myself have what I wanted. One thing I've wanted. I've never done that before. Never had anything I wanted…And I'll be damned if I'm going to let you take that moment from me."

Robin's jaw dropped. He stared. Allan glared. A leaf fell. And there was silence.

To be continued…


	13. Chapter 13

**Wow. So I have to waste a couple hundred words explaining my leave of absence. So as you faithful readers know, I last updated this story in September of 2012. I am very sorry that it is now February of 2013 and I am just now giving you a new chapter. I know I've always made the college excuse as to why I am so slow about updating, and those struggles continue. However, the main reason for my hiatus was the fiasco that became known as October of 2012. In October, we had fall break from college, and I went home to spend time with my family. On that Thursday I was informed by my mother that my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, and he was terminally ill. He passed away a week later, on my third day back to school after break. Needless to say, the next week was spent on helping with his funeral, the next month on helping my grandmother get back on her feet. That was October and November. Then December started, after two weeks of exams, I finally had the time to write, but I couldn't find it in my heart to keep going. I felt like continuing to work on this story was as if I was trying to return to the time before his passing, before everything changed. I know in retrospect now that that was not logical reasoning, and I've decided to return to this story. I've put in too much time and effort, and received way too much good feedback to just abandon it. So I've decided to continue it, no matter how slow the going is. I cannot guarantee any kind of regularity to the postings, but all I can say is that I will try my hardest to be decent with posting. I've started re-watching series 1 so hopefully I will find some much needed motivation. I also apologize for any ill-conceived angst; I'll try to balance it with equivalent amounts of fluff! :)**

**In regards to the work, I've decided that I have zero desire to continue writing about Kate and Tuck. From this point forward, they will only appear if I need them in order to advance the plot. Otherwise, don't expect to read their names again. It is not out of dislike for their characters, but rather the fact that they really just don't fit in with where I see this story going. It is also too difficult to maintain so many story arcs. But don't worry; I will not be axing any major storylines, so have no fear. With that obscenely long author's note out of the way, let's continue with the story. Cheers everyone.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my OCs, and the little bit of wit that I infuse into Sherwood Forest.**

**Chapter 13:**

**Sherwood Forest**

Robin looked at Allan, clothes disheveled, cheeks tear stained, and he felt a surge of pity for him. Robin was not attracted to Allan, not in the slightest of manners. But at the same time, he couldn't imagine hurting his friend any more than he clearly already had. His mere presence was causing Allan discomfort. However, something else had taken residence in Allan's eyes. Previously, his eyes had shown a downtrodden sorrow, but now they appeared fiery, full of some unbridled passion. Subconsciously, Robin slunk backwards.

"Wow…" Allan huffed.

"What do you mean, wow?" Robin retorted.

"I mean, for once I tell you a straight story and of course you cannot believe it. Well believe it Robin, I like you, have for a while. And it may be solely a case of hero-worship that has turned my affections, but I understand from your mannerisms that these feelings are not mutual." With that statement, Allan moved forward. Robin mirrored him backward. "And now you won't even be near me. Do I disgust you that much?" Robin went to answer. "Don't answer that, it was rhetorical. I'm not going to jump you. I'll go back to what I was doing before, silent longing; I'm quite good at it by now. But don't expect me to look happily upon your gallivanting about with Marian, or whatever maid you decide to fall for next, maybe it will be Kate again? Or whatever damsel in distress you are faced with next. Whatever it is, I won't challenge it, and I won't reveal myself to anyone else. Your honor is safe Robin. And as is mine, provided you keep your mouth shut, and your loathing to yourself." Allan turned to head back to camp.

"I don't loathe you Allan."

"Maybe not, but you don't, nay, can't, love me either."

With that Allan walked back towards camp with what looked like several rabbits for dinner thrown over his shoulder.

Robin watched in amazement, perhaps even delirium. Then he sat down on a stump, and let his brain process.

**The Camp**

Allan walked into camp, by the time he arrived, the tear stains had abated and he looked like himself again. He was still covered in dirt, but the gang chalked that up to hours spent traipsing through the forest.

He threw the rabbits to Much, who instantly picked them up and began the cooking process. Allan walked to his bedding and lay down for a much needed nap.

The gang didn't comment on the odd behavior of Allan A Dale, he had never been a terribly private man, so they assumed that sooner or later, the things that were bothering him would come to light.

**Sherwood Forest**

Earlier in the day, Sarah had taken Salvador out for a ride, as he was becoming restless after spending the day in the camp. As she galloped through the forest, she felt the freeing effects of the forest air descend upon her countenance. It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

Elsewhere in the forest, Robin was contemplating. He decided that he would need to have another talk with Allan, reassure him that he didn't hate him, but reiterate that nothing could become of his feelings because Robin did not reciprocate. He only had eyes for women, and that was not a thing that would be changing anytime soon.

As he stood, he heard screaming, loud screaming, and it was coming from his camp. He readied his bow and arrows as best he could as he sprinted blindly. When he got to camp, he saw that Will, Djaq, Archer, Guy, Marian, Little John, Tuck, Kate, the Sheriff, Much, and Allan were tied up and gagged around the camp. As their eyes fell to him, they widened and he turned to see what they were looking at. Several large men dressed in all black were ransacking their supplies. As they saw Robin, they drew their weapons. Robin attempted to fire an arrow, but at such short range it was easy for them to move quickly enough that he could not fire accurately. He tried resorting to the close combat training he had learned in the Holy Land, but he was vastly outnumbered. He soon found himself bound and gagged like the rest of the gang. They cast eyes at each other, and watched as the three robbers went back to ransacking their food and supplies.

Back in the forest, Sarah heard the screams as well. She turned Salvador in the direction of camp. As she approached, she dismounted and told Salvador to wait for her farther down the path. As the horse walked off, Sarah readied her weapons. Who knew how many men, or what kind of fight she was about to find. She saw the head of one of the robbers poke up above the wall of camp, and she decided to make her move. She fired her first arrow, and hit the man square in the forehead, the sound of his body hitting the ground lead her to believe that he was dead. She could hear another man moving around, but could not get a clear shot on him. She drew her sword, and with a loud battle cry she headed into the camp. As she rushed in, she saw the gang tied up, all at the mercy of their captors. The man rushed at her, the two engaged in a short but bloody fight, Sarah taking a gash upon her arm, but ultimately running the robber through. His blood and her own covered her face, and the dirt from the forest floor covered her visage. The final robber heard the confrontation and rushed to fight her, as the two fought, it became instantly clear that the two were evenly matched. Each move the other made to one-up, was matched by an even blow. As the two fought, the pair made eye contact. The robber paused, and Sarah went to make the killing blow, but he uttered, "Sarah." And she stopped short. She looked at the man with clear confusion. He removed his mask, and tears welled in Sarah's eyes as she gazed upon him. As the pair embraced in a long hug, apparently most of the gang had managed to lose their gags.

"Not to be funny, but wasn't he trying to kill us?" Allan said.

Sarah laughed and turned to face the gang. As she cut them each loose from their bondage, she uttered, "He is not going to kill you now. He is my brother after all."

Robin and the rest of the gang looked at Sarah and then to the unknown man. Confusion was apparent on all of their faces.

"He is my brother. And his name is Cedric."

**Another Note: Sorry I know, another OC. I'm not normally a fan of them, but there will be a group of OCs related to Sarah and her family. I have either killed or converted all of the show's antagonists, I kind of need new ones, so sorry about that. I hope to introduce Cedric more in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope that you still find this story intriguing after such a long hiatus! Thanks again, reviews are love!**


End file.
